The objective of the Pilot Project Core is to provide initial support for research in areas of the human immune response to vaccination, naturally acquired infection, or adjuvants utilizing the bioinformatics, multiplex, or systems biology approaches described in our program. The Pilot Project Core also will seek to promote inter-disciplinary investigations and patient-oriented research using a systems immunology approach. We recognize that there are few funding opportunities to support the cost of characterizing immune responses to pathogens or vaccines using the platforms available in our program. An additional aim of this Core will be to attract new investigators to systems immunology for investigation of the human immune response to infectious agents or vaccines.